Happy Valentines!

I'm spending my Valentine's Day with my sweetest Valentine... 

Cute huh? He's home sick today -- recovering from a hospital stay  when he ate something and had an allergic reaction. He's technically fine, but mama thinks keeping him at home and feeding him things I know are safe is much better than sending him to his all you can eat Valentine's party. I little neurotic, I know. By next week, he'll be living in a bubble.

So, I'm spending my morning snuggling with my man and pinning some of my fave Valentine images.

 The little pop of red looks great and I love the Stray Dog lamp.

 Just cute...

 You know how I feel about red, so pinks were calling my name!

So many things I love about this one...

I might have to switch from Pepsi to Coke for these DVF designed bottles. I'm very superficial.

The Made By Girl print comes in tons of colors, see here. So much to love about today...

And last, but certainly not least, today is Lindley's birthday!!!  9 years ago today, Ann got a very special Valentine. 

Happy Birthday Lindley! 

And happy Valentine's Day to you all - have a wonderful love filled day!

XOXO

~H

Credit to: Made by Girl, Holidayboutique.net, House Beautiful

Go towards the Light....

How many lamps are in your house? I realize I have a bit of a lamp fetish. There are 13 table lamps in my (small) house. Oh, not counting the 3 in my closet, sitting on the floor, waiting for the perfect spot. I can't help it... Check these out that I got at the One Tree Hill set auction...

Don't you love them? Can't you just see them with big white drum shades? Too bad they do not go with my house (yet). These might end up at the barn sale. Yes, we are thinking about another barn sale this spring! See here.

Let me know if you think you must own them... they might be for sale now. (MIGHT)

Happy Monday!

Bye, bye Birdie,

~A

Splurge vs. Steal

I love a client with a big budget, but often it takes all of the fun out of it. Don't get me wrong, it's fun to splurge, but the hunt for the steal is one of the best parts of my job. 

It's actually the clients with the SMALL budgets that are REALLY FUN! 

I have been shopping for seating, coffee tables and all kinds of accessories for a STEAL in order to stay within budget -- I may even come under. I wanted to share some of my very favorite steals that we can all afford.

The Heddery Chair on Overstock.com is $400. Don't you love the lines?

Hickory Chair makes a beautiful splurge -- the "Halden" is gorgeous, but may break the bank. 

This Zentique Sofa is beautiful, but retails for over $2000. The craftsmanship of their products is amazing, but this client just couldn't afford this baby.

This World Market banquette It's even prettier in person and the velvet in color "concrete" is lush. For $449 it's a steal and add some killer pillows, and you've got a splurge "looking" sofa. I bought one during a World Market sale for $349. That's a deal.

I'm loving this Serena and Lilly Chair, but for $1095 when I need two of them, I can't even show this as an option to my client for her bedroom. But...

I could show her this Robin Egg Linen chair from Overstock. Yes, ma'am. This one is $270.99 with free shipping

OK, this is one of my faves. I have been stalking this chair (just released at Pier 1) for the perfect client. I knew I could find her the most loving home. She needed a home where she could be appreciated for her beauty and lines and the fact that for $379.99 she could be mistaken for...

Any chair upholstered in the iconic "Imperial Trellis" by KW. at hundreds of dollars a yard, that adds up when you need a whole chair. 

This mirrored console would be my inspiration for the entire room. Hoping my client reads it and must have it for her house in CT, she wouldn't go for the $1800 price tag. 

Lucky for me her, I found one today for $1000 LESS. Can't tell you where, because I don't want you to beat me to it.

This cubist table from Overstock is a go-to for me. It's $178 and gorgeous in person. 

Beats the Mandarin nesting tables from World's Away for $960. Yep, you heard me. $960. They are beautiful and there ARE two of them, but still...
Found any good deals lately? Send me your steals! I simply adore a good deal.
Bye bye birdie,
~H




credit to: Pinterest, Worlds Away, Hickory Chair, Decor Pad, KWID, Overstock, Zentique

not very productive...

I had a list a mile long of things to get accomplished this weekend. One being fold and PUT AWAY about 30 loads of laundry (no joke...). FYI...watching the Super Bowl was not on my list. But my cool friend Deb dropped off a book "You just HAVE to read". hmmm.... wonder if she meant in 2 days?

Great book, but now I'm dealing with what Ann forgot because I was reading about What Alice Forgot.

One thing on my list was to find wallpaper for my master (and I use that word loosely) bathroom...

The floors are black and white basket weave tile and the room has 4' wainscoting and is TINY!

Contenders:

If my husband and kids left for a week, I could paint this...(maybe)

 

a little too chartruesy (new word) and might get tired of it but I do like the grays and the been around a long time vibe...

hmmm... cool on a ceiling...

This might be the winner.... Of course, I'd have to redo my whole room... but would be worth it. I love it! Except should your wallpaper cost more then the whole remodel?

I know you've seen this one but seriously, IT'S GREAT!!! This may have to be somewhere in my house someday...

Any good wallpaper out there I've missed?

Happy Monday!

Bye,bye birdie,

~A

credit: Osborne and Little, Wallpaper store

They call me Mellow Yellow...

Did anyone else have a crazy week... I thought we (mostly me) needed some relaxing pics to send us into the weekend. You hear us talking about cute Jen over at Fotojenik. She not only makes incredible bags, hide cuffs (fave), leather feather earrings (staple), etc.... BUT she is an amazing photographer and she and hubby Hal have a beautiful, peaceful, creative home. Enjoy her photos and their space....

layers, texture & lots of wood create a very relaxing spot...

Jen lacquered REAL antlers she found on our last trip to our secret junk shops. Now don't go rattle canning your husbands prized deer heads! (I think that sentence just took me to an all new redneck low...hmmm...)

Vintage industrial sewing machine that can sew through anything. That's great and all but look how pretty the color is...

Forest chairs...wishbone chairs...beautiful light...living plants...perfect.

Current guest room...future nursery. I can not wait to see what they eventually do in here. I've been bragging on Jen but her husband Hal holds his own in the creative department. If I didn't love them so much I might not like them at all....

A wire basket on the wall serves for more (pretty) storage.

So, the master bedroom is very loooong but feels so calm and cozy all at the same time. The natural light is amazing. I spy with my little eye the perfect nursery rocker...

Isn't it pretty... and relaxing? What's your favorite thing?Doesn't it make you want to drink coffee and listen to slow jams?

Thanks for sharing your home J&H!

Have a mello weekend...

Bye,bye Birdie,

~A&H

Mountain House Reveal -- just kidding

Don't get too excited, this isn't the BIG reveal, but things are coming along at the mountain house and we can't wait to show you the final product. We thought it would be mean  fun to see some of the progress -- just a little tease...


The client wanted a "Mountain meets Nantucket" vibe. I think it is just that, don't you?

They are sending lots of pictures to keep us  updated on finishes, tile, the works. It is really coming along. Wouldn't you just love to vacation here? 


We are patiently waiting for our container from London to arrive. Looks like it might be awhile (it's on the slow boat from London). Regardless, here are some cool pieces that are crossing the pond. 

Client isn't as thrilled about these as I am, but I'm determined to make them work. They are super cool with an Anthropologie vibe. I have no idea where they will go (not my usual purchasing method), but know that if they don't work in the mountains, I can do a room around them somewhere. 

 These are filled with down and are a dark gray flannel -- perfect for the living room. 

 Coffee table in study. It is very old and VERY cool.

 A cool driftwood mirror for.... somewhere.

 Little girl's dresser is going to get new knobs or perhaps Ann will paint them with a little monogram...

Here's another hint. Check out the living room color scheme and some fabrics that may (or may not) show up in the mountain house. 

Bye bye birdie!

~A&H

Help...out with the old, in with the new?

I didn't think anything was wrong with my rug... In fact, I really liked my living room rug. It made the room feel calm, cohesive and pretty....

Then while Hooper and I were shopping at a friends house (yes, peaking in her closets looking for good castaways) I found this rug...

It's not calm or serene BUT the reds, teals, black, and oranges were calling to me. So since I always listen when accessories are calling my name, I brought it home to try...(moved some things around to make it work...)

and...I think I'm in love... Out with the old, in with the new?... What do you think? Which is better?

Do I remain calm and serene or go punchy?

Happy Monday...

Bye, bye Birdie,

~A

Target hits the Bullseye everytime

Have you ever gotten out of Target spending less than $100? I haven't. And, if I had it, I could spent $1000 and furnish an entire room. Check out these amazing finds for sprucing up a room. I snapped them up while grocery shopping. 

Wouldn't a pair of these be beautiful with a colored silk shade?

                 Maybe a peach or gray shade in this bedroom?

 For $24.99, he would look killer on your book case. Remember this room?

I spy with my little eye... a horse that cost more than $24.99 (don't tell my client).

 This pillow is flocked and so pretty. Wouldn't it look amazing in here?

 I bought one of these pillows for the house in the mountains. The pattern is sewn leather and is accented with nail heads. Its going in a man's study with this fabric:

I love this shade too. That's a lot of bang for your buck for $12.99. 

Add a light kit and you have great pendants!

Wouldn't they be great in this room?

This is one of my all time favorites. It's on sale for $89 

It would be gorgeous in this room as a side table or as a pair to create a low coffee table.

And last, but certainly not least, check out this butterfly stool.

Isn't it a great Sori Yanagi knock off? I mean, Yliving has this version for $645. The Target version is $111.

So, no. I have determined that it is impossible to walk out of Target spending less than $100. Now you know why.

Bye bye birdie,

~H

Credit to Simple Dwellings, Lonny Mag, DecorPad, Target.com